Syracuse football postgame analysis of the Pittsburgh game plan: special teams

Syracuse football linebacker Dan Vaughan celebrates after making a crushing tackle on the kickoff coverage team during Friday's 14-13 victory over Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome.Frank Ordoñez / The Post-Standard

Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse football coach Doug Marrone did a self-scout of his special-teams units in the bye week prior to Friday night’s 14-13 victory over Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome before making the game plan for the Panthers. He had a few changes in mind, but in the end special-teams play neither helped nor hurt the Orange in the victory.

There was a punt block in the game plan, but the close nature of the contest prevented the Orange from giving it a shot for fear of giving Pitt an extra possession if the block was missed and the punter roughed.

Marrone’s main concern was the big-play ability of Pitt punt returner Cameron Saddler. It was such that Marrone took punters Jonathan Fisher and Riley Dixon in front of the entire team and announced that if they punted the ball where it wasn’t supposed to be punted – short and down the middle of the field – it would cost the team a touchdown. For the second consecutive game Fisher would handle all the punts, so he was the guy on the spot.

“If he kicks it 38 to 42 yards and it goes out of bounds I’ll kiss him,” Marrone said prior to the game. “If it goes 38 to 42 yards and the guy has to fair catch it I’ll hug him. If it’s short and in the middle of the field I’ll . . .”

It is no wonder, then, that most of Fisher’s six punts were angled toward one sideline or the other. He failed to get that average of 38 to 42 yards, averaging only 35, but Steadman tried to return only one of them and was stopped dead in his tracks by Lewellyn Coker. All in all Fisher did his job, even if it drew groans from the stands.

Marrone said the team spent the bye week working a lot on springing Steve Rene for some yardage on a punt or kick return, and the junior came within a shoestring tackle of breaking a long kick return in the third quarter. Averaging only 12.5 yards per kick return entering the game, he averaged 23 on two returns Friday. He failed to return one of Pitt’s five punts, though, even a new punt return scheme was part of the game plan.

While failing to provide any dynamic plays on special teams, SU’s players there also avoided any major breakdowns. In a one-point victory that was sufficient.